Love to die for
by 9PoisonIvy9
Summary: He didn't expect to find he could transform into a wolf. He never expected his crazy dad to come back to kill him. And there was no way in hell that it even crossed his mind that he would imprint on Sam Uley's little sister, Isabella Temperance Uley.
1. Preface

Preface

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,

The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,

The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,

And the highwayman came riding-

Riding- riding-

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,

A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doeskin:

They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to the thigh!

And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,

His pistol butts a-twinkle,

His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,

And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred:

He whistled a tune to the window; and who should be waiting there

But the landlord's black-eyed daughter

Bess, the landlord's daughter,

Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

And dark in the dark inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked

Where Tim, the ostler, listened; his face was white and peaked,

His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay;

But he loved the landlord's daughter,

The landlord's red-lipped daughter:

Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say-

"_One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize tonight,_

_But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light._

_Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,_

_Then look for me by moonlight,_

_Watch for me by moonlight,_

_I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell shall bar the way."_

He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand;

But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand

As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;

And he kissed its waves in the moonlight

(Oh, sweet black waves int he moonlight)

Then he tugged at his reins in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West

He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;

And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,

When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,

A red-coat troop came marching-

Marching- marching-

King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.

They said no word to the landlord; they drank his ale instead;

But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed.

Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at the side!

There was death at every window;

And Hell at one dark window;

For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride.

They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest:

They had bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!

"_Now keep good watch!" _and they kissed her.

She heard the dead man say-

"_Look for me by moonlight_

_Watch for me by moonlight;_

_I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell should bar the way!"_

She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!

She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!

They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years;

Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,

Cold, on the stroke of midnight,

The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!

The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!

Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,

She would not risk their hearing: she would not strive again;

For the road lay bare in the moonlight,

Blank and bare in the moonlight;

And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her Love's refrain.

_Tlot- tlot, tlot- tlot! _Had they heard? The horse-hoofs ringing clear-

_Tlot- tlot, tlot- tlot, _in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?

Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,

The highwayman came riding,

Riding, riding!

The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up straight and still!

_Tlot-tlot_, in the frosty silence! _Tlot-tlot_, in the echoing night!

Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!

Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,

Then her finger moved in the moonlight,

Her musket shattered the moonlight,

Shatter her breast in the moonlight and warned him- with her death.

He turned; he spurred him westward; he did not know who stood

Bowed with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!

Not till the dawn he heard it, and slowly blanched to hear

How Bess, the landlord's daughter,

The landlord's black-eyed daughter,

Had watched for her Love in the moonlight; and died in the darkness there.

Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,

With the white road smoking behind him, and his rapier brandished high!

Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat;

When they shot him down on the highway,

Down like a dog on the highway,

And he lay in is blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.

THE HIGHWAYMAN by ALFRED NOYES

**AN: Okay, okay, I know its a little angsty, but it will all make sense once I've finished this story. Reviews are appreciated massively. Thank you.**

**~Poison Ivy**


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure I was dreaming. The reasons I was so certain were that, first, I was standing in the clearing that I hadn't visited since my parents died and had no desire to go that again and, second, because it looked so unimaginable beautiful, something I couldn't put into words. Nothing could be that beautiful and exist in the real world.

And then suddenly I felt like I was trapped in one of those terrifying nightmare, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can't make your body move fast enough. I didn't know why I was running, only that I hadn't to get to... _someone_... before it was too late. I had to warn them that..._something_... was coming for them and that- whatever it was- was exceedingly dangerous.

I felt like my life depended on this one person; as if that person was what made my world go round.

I could hear something behind me, somehow managing to keep up. Deep, ragged breath sounded in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. The smell of rotting flesh reached my nose and I gagged.

Then I jolted upright in bed, gasping, and my hand flew to my heart, trying to slow it down. I couldn't help checking my room for anything that smelt like rotting flesh or the sound of ragged breathing.

Geez, I hated nightmare. The feeling of being seconds away from death still running through your veins.

_Note to self: Give your mental subconscious a pep talk, re: better dreams._

Groaning, I forced myself out of my warm, cozy bed and drudged down the stairs, still half asleep despite my nightmare. I glanced out of the hall windows on the way to the kitchen. I loved this view: the morning sunlight breaking over the crest of the mountains, the clear sky, the deep shadows, and the fact that I could see no sign of any other people.

I opened the door to find the boys up and ready, all sitting at the table with serious looks on their faces, ones I gotten way too used to and allowed to happen way too often.

A year ago, my big brother, Sam Uley, went missing for six months. We couldn't find him anywhere. Then, six months later, he comes back with an awesome eight pack and a nice set of mussels to go with them. Not to mention the fact that he'd crown at least five more feet since the last time we'd seen him. There was gossip going all around the town that he'd taken steroids and other junk like that. And now apparently he was getting other guys to do the same, no matter what I tell them. I refuse to believe that my massively over-protective big-brother would do drugs and then tell other guys- the very same guys I've known and grown up with since I was in diapers- to take the drugs. No way.

Sam was at one end of the table and Billy Black, a friend of our parents and like a third parent to us after they died, was at the end. Jacob black, our cousin, Embry Call and Jared Doreanaz, our best friends, were on the left with their backs to the wall and Quil Ateara and Seth Clearwater, our other best friends, had their back to the kitchen, along with someone I hadn't seen before.

He had the same build as the other and incredible hot. As soon as our eyes met, he held mine for a second too long with a pretty shaken up expression on his face before he gathered himself together and gave me a smirk that made me weak in the knees.

As soon as Sam saw me, his face broke into the wide smile that I was so used to. "Hey Bells, rise and shine."

"Bite me" I mumbled, still not awake enough to be civil.

"Hey, sweetie" Billy smiled. "Up and at 'em."

"Coffee."

They chuckled and I huffed, pocking my tongue out at them _very maturely._

"Here" Jake said, handing me a cup of steaming coffee.

"You're a saint" I sighed, taking the cup gratefully.

"Of course" he said cockily. I poked him in the ribs and he rubbed them playfully, even though we both knew he barely felt.

I made my way over to the fridge and glanced inside, already knowing that they were about to ask me to make them breakfast. The back of my neck prickled. I straightened quickly and spun around.

"Will you quit that?" I said.

Jared always appeared silently like that, out of nowhere, like a dark shadow come to life and only because he could. He did it to try and scare me ever since we were nine. It may have worked back then but I was eighteen now and it had gotten a little old.

"Quit what?" he asked calmly. "Breathing?"

"Oh ha, ha" I said sarcastically.

"Bella" Seth said slowly and they all gave me the puppy eyes and the hopeful look that they all knew full well that I could never ignore.

"You guys set the table and I'll make breakfast" I said knowingly.

"Love you, Bells" they chorused, making me smile.

I made eggs- scrambled and fried- bacon, toast, muffins, pancakes and put on the table loads of cereal boxes. It was enough to feed an army, which is about the equivalent to what the boys could eat and more.

I'd barely set the rest of the food on the table before they started attacking it and I jumped backwards before I could get knocked over.

"This is great, Bells" Quil said with his mouth full and I hit him over the head with my wooden spoon.

"Don't speak with your mouthful!"

"Yes, mum" he teased but made sure he'd swallowed first. _Very_ wise.

I leant against the counter and started nibbling on my muffin.

"So what were you guys talking about before I interrupted" I asked curiously.

They all winced simultaneously.

"I get it" I sighed, lowering my eyes to the floor. "It was one of those top-secret meetings that I can never ever, ever, ever find out about or you'll have to kill me to keep me quiet."

"Yeah" Sam said apologetically and for a moment I could have sworn he looked like he really did want to tell me what they were talking about. "Sorry, Cookie."

I instantly cheered up at the sound of my childhood nickname.

"Well, that's good enough for me" I smiled, turning to wash up my cup. "What's your name?" I added, shooting a glance at the very hot guy. There was no one someone could be that hot and be human.

"Paul. Paul Meraz" he said, his voice low and sexy. It affected me in a way no man had ever affected me before.

"Cool" I managed not to stammer out and turned around quickly before he could affect me even more. "I'm going to the library today if that's okay with you guys."

There was a collection of 'sure's, chuckles and a growl?

Okay, I have _got _to lay off the coffee. It's obviously not good for my health.

**AN: I hope that's not too short for you. And, yes, I know there isn't much love between Bells and Paul in it but trust me, it builds up. I just didn't want it to be centred on their love in the first chapter. I'd rather you get a reasonable amount of her background first. Love reviews**

**~Poison Ivy**


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"You did what?" I heard Sam yell from downstairs, disturbing me from my homework- not much of a disappointment, by the way. That was strange. Sam never raised his voice; not ever. Curiously, I went downstairs into the living room to see Sam and Paul glaring at each other, Sam's fist clenched around a broken glass so tightly, blood was beginning to seep from his hand. They both were so angry their whole bodies were shaking and I could have sworn I heard Sam growling.

"Whoa, cool it guys" I said, stepping in between them. I placed a hand on Sam's chest and his shaking slowed down a fraction, but not enough to indicate that he'd calm down. "What's up?"

"Nothing" he snapped, brushing past me but stopped when I grabbed his hand, almost gasping at how hot it felt. What did he do? Stick it on a radiator and held it there for a decade or two?

"You were bleeding a couple of moments ago" I said, flipping his hand over. The skin was smooth, with no mark showing any signs that there was even a cut there to begin with. "I saw it. There was blood from the glass cut. But there's no wound..."

"You imagined it" he snapped, snatching his hand back angrily. I jerked backwards, hurt. He never snapped at me like that.

"No I didn't" I snapped back. "Look, there's the blood on the glass from your hand."

Sam just ignored me and stormed out of the room.

I turned to look at the other guys, who were looking rather shifty.

"Are you guys going to explain?" I demanded. "Or are you going to avoid the whole conversation and call me crazy too?"

"Honey..." Jake began but I held up a hand.

"Don't, Jacob, just don't. I know my brother and he does not storm out of the room for no reason. And blood does not appear out of thin air."

There was silence.

"Bella" Embry began carefully "it's not that we don't _want_ to tell you. It's more that we _can't_ tell you."

"Fine" I said coolly, crabbing my keys. "Fine. I'll be back in time for dinner."

I slammed the door behind me and got into my car. It was a Keonigsegg Agera R, something my brother got me for my birthday. I thought it was a bit extreme but he said the speed might come in handy one day, whatever he meant by that.

By the time I was at the local book shop I realised just how irrational I'd been. Sighing, I opened the door and the familiar face of Jeb smiled warmly at me. He was a man in his nineties, his long, white hair held back in braids along with brightly coloured beads and feathers.

"Hello, Isabella" he smiled, pausing his writing. "What can I do for you today?"

Jeb was the only person that could get away with calling me Isabella without losing the ability to have children.

"Hey, Jeb" I replied. "Just looking around."

"Fight with your family." It was a statement, not a question. He knew me way to well to be healthy.

"Yeah" I sighed, avoiding eye contact by picking up a book on the local legends off the shelf. "Sam was upset and I wanted to know why. I just can't help but feel that there is something really big that they're not telling me."

"What do you think they're keeping from you?"

"I don't know. But the really horrible thing was that for a split second I thought maybe the rumours were true" I said, guilt rushing through my veins like a hurricane. "That maybe they really were taking drugs."

"I think maybe you have to consider that they maybe keeping it a secret to keep you safe" Jeb said.

"What's so dangerous in the world that they would feel the need to keep secrets from me?" I asked.

"You'd be surprised" he said cryptically.

I knew better than to ask what he meant. Jeb hardly made sense anymore because he believed that people should figure things out for themselves, which, did I mention, can get very frustrating sometimes.

"I'd like to buy this, please" I said, handing it to him and pulling out my purse.

"Don't you already know these legends off by heart by now?" he chuckled.

"That is one things Joshua did right" I said, giving the money. Jeb's eyes instantly became sympathetic. I swear to god if I see one more pair of sympathetic eyes because of what my pathetic son of a bitch of a father did to us...

"I'm sorry for what your father did to you" he murmured. "I know you're probably tired of hearing that."

"You have no idea" I laughed weakly, taking the book. "See yah, Jeb."

"Goodbye, Isabella."

I got back into my car but didn't start the engine. Instead I opened the book and scanned the contents. A particulate title caught my eye.

"The Third Wife's Sacrifice" I murmured to myself. Joshua never told me this story. I flicked forward to page 252 and began to read the ending:

_The blood drinker saw the Great Wolf on the shore, and she forgot the fleeing swimmers. She swam so fast she was a blur and came, dripping and glorious, to stand before Yaha Uta. She pointed at him with one white finger and asked another incomprehensible question. Yaha Uta waited._

_It was a close fight. She was not the warrior her mate had been. But Yaha Uta was alone- there was no one to distract her fury from him._

_When Yaha Uta lost, Taha Aki screamed in defiance. He lumps forward and shifted into an ancient, white-muzzled wolf. The wolf was old, but this was Taha Aki the Spirit Man, and his rage made him strong. The fight began again._

_Taha Aki's third wife had just seen her son die before her. Now her husband fought, and she had no hope that he could win. She'd heard every word the witnesses to the slaughter had told the council. She'd heard the story of Yaha Uta's first victory, and knew that his brother's diversion had saved him._

_The third wife grabbed a knife from the belt of one of the songs who stood beside her. They were all young songs, not yet men and she knew they would die when their father failed._

_The third wife ran toward the Cold Woman with the dagger raised high. The Cold Woman smiled, barely distracted from her fight with the Old Wolf. She had no fear of the weak human woman or the knife that would not even scratch her skin, and she was about to deliver the death blow to Taha Aki._

_And then the third wife did something the Cold Woman did not expect. She fell to her knees at the blood drinker's feet and plunged the knife into her own heart._

_Blood spurted through the third wife's fingers and splashed against the Cold Woman. The blood drinker could not resist the lure of the fresh blood leaving the third wife's body. Instinctively, she turned to the dying woman, for one second entirely consumed by thirst._

_Taha Aki's teeth closed around her neck._

_That was not the end of the fight, but Taha Aki was not alone now. Watching their mother die, two young sons felt such rage that they sprang forth as their spirit wolves, though they were not yet men. With their father, they finished the creature._

_Taha Aki never rejoined the tribe. He never changed back to man again. He lay for one day beside the body of the third wife, growling whenever anyone tried to touch her, and then he went into the forest and never returned._

I stopped reading, unable to go on. My mind was still a thousand years away. Even though it was only a legend, it was common knowledge that any legend was based on some facts. I was not thinking of Yaha Uta or the other wolves, or the beautiful Cold Woman. No, I was thinking of someone outside the magic altogether. I was trying to imagine the face of the unnamed woman who had saved the entire tribe; the third wife.

Just a human woman, with no special gifts or powers. Physically weaker and slower than any of the monsters in the story. But she had been the key, the solution. She'd saved her husband, her young songs, her tribe.

I only wish they'd remembered her name...

**AN: And if anyone was paying attention, they would have noticed that page 252 is the page the story of 'The third wife's sacrifice' begins in Eclipse. All reviews I loved and any advice on what should come next is greatly appreciated. Thanks**

**~Poison Ivy**

**P.S I'm going away camping for five days so I will continue writing the but will be unable to post them until I get back.**


	4. Chapter Three

**AN:**

**BlackRosesNeverDie666- Thanks. I didn't really know their names so I just read a fanfic and used the surnames they'd put on there. I'll remember that for my other stories once I've finished this one. Thanks again.**

Chapter Three

On the way back home my car broke down. Brilliant. And it was raining. _And _my mobile has run out of charge. Just my luck! I got out of the car and went down the street, looking for a pay phone. I guess I wasn't paying as much attention as I should to where I was going, though I had walked those streets so often I should be able to walk them blindfolded.

Then I started to realize, as I crossed another road, that I was going the wrong direction. The little foot I had seen was going north, and it looked like the buildings here were mostly warehouses. I didn't recognise anything here. I decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around after a few blocks and try my luck on a different street.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and he had to be talking to me since there was no one else was around. I glanced up automatically. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closet, a heavy set, dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals.

He took half a step towards me.

"Hello" I mumbled a knee-jerk reaction. Then I quickly looked away and walked fast toward the corner. I could hear them laughing at full volume behind me.

I quickened my pace. A chill that had nothing to do with the darkening sky made me shiver. My purse was on a shoulder strap and I had it slung across my body, the way you were supposed to wear it so it wouldn't get snatched. I knew exactly where my pepper spray was that Sam always wanted me to carry everywhere- in my makeup bag, on my bedside-table, in my bedroom.

It seemed to take forever for me to get to the corner. I kept my pace steady, the men behind me falling ever so slightly farther behind with every step. Maybe they realized they had scared me and were sorry. I saw two cars going north pass the intersection I was heading for, and I exhaled in relief. There would be more people once I got off this deserted street. I skipped around the corner with a grateful sigh.

And skidded to a stop.

I wasn't being followed anymore.

I was being herded.

"There you are!" The booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet and made me jump. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past me.

"Yeah" a voice called loudly from behind me, making me jump again as I tried to hurry down the street. "We just took a little detour."

The thickset man shrugged away from the wall as I warily came to a stop, and walked slowly into the street.

"Stay away from me" I warned in a voice that sounded way stronger than I actually felt.

"Don't be like that, sugar" he called, taking a step towards me and inclined his head like he was going to kiss me.

And that was when I punched him in the nose.

I congratulated myself when I heard the sickening crack of his nose broke when my first connected. He immediately recoiled, clutching his nose as crimson blood began seeping through his fingers.

"You bitch" he yelled angrily, and one of them pushed me backwards- hard. My head connected with the wall behind me with a crack and I slumped to the floor, black spots disturbing my vision.

Somewhere, what sounded like a million miles away, I heard a furious snarl, like an angry animal. And I heard the boy's screams and running footsteps and the sound of ripping flesh.

Then i felt warm, safe arms wrapped themselves around me and lifted me up into the air.

"Its okay, Bella" a voice murmured, filling me with calm and trust. "I've got you."

"Paul?" I breathed, my eyes growing heavy.

"I'm here, I've got you" he soothed.

Everything went black.

~Twilight~

First thing I noticed was the throbbing sensation in my head and the knuckles of my right fist. Then i heard low murmurs on either side of me, sounding angry. It took me a while to figure out that it was Paul and Sam, but they were talking too low for me to hear what they were arguing about.

"Paul" I moaned, my eyes fluttering open. Paul and Sam's faces swam into focus, lined with worry.

"Bella" Paul breathed. The way he said my name like a pray made me shiver with delight.

"Are you alright?" Sam rushed all the important questions; the words jumbling together till they made no sense what so ever. "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts" I croaked, unable to get it above a whisper.

"You had quite a knock" Billy said, wheeling himself into my bedroom. "Are you up for more visitors?"

"The guys are here?"

"Yep. I had to hold 'em down with a lock and key and more to keep them from knocking down your door" Sam said, making me smile.

"Send them up here then."

"She's awake" Billy called. "And try not to..."

BANG. Too late. The boys burst through the door, falling in a heap beside me and I giggled.

"...break anything" Billy finished his sentence, sighed and shook his head, but he was smiling.

"Bella" Embry said the first to reach my side (he was at the top of the pile). "How're you feeling?"

"My head hurts" I said. "And my knuckles." I noticed for the first time that both my hand and head was bandaged.

Billy nodded and handed me a couple of piles. "Take this; it should help."

Paul handed me a glass of water and I swallowed the piles. My skin accidently brushed against his and I was surprised at how hot

Next to me Sam sighed and I glanced at him questioningly. "Bella" he said carefully "how much of last night do you remember?"

Frowning, I thought back.

"I remember being attack" I said slowly. "Then I remember an animal noise." Glancing at Paul I added "Angry animal noises."

He lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Anything else?" Sam sighed.

"Look" I said, meeting everyone's eyes in the room. "I know something's up and that there is something you're not telling me."

Everybody was avoiding eye contact now but I kept going.

"You can heal extremely fast, no matter what the injury is. You disappear whenever a wolf howls and your temperatures are through the roof. And you're stronger than any normal human."

Silence.

Sam was the first to break it. "And what is your conclusion?"

"That there is more to this world that what we see" I replied.

Billy wheeled himself to my side next to Paul. "If we tell you it could change your life forever and put you in danger."

"I know" I murmured. "I kinda figured that was why you were keeping it from me."

"Smart girl" Paul noted and I blushed. I don't know why but it pleased me that he thought I was smart.

Sam ran an agitated hand through his hair and I rested a hand on his arm. He glanced at it before looking into my eyes. We stayed like that for a couple of moments before nodding.

"Alright, we'll show you, but promise you won't freak?"

"I promise."

**AN: So...review?**


	5. Chapter Four

**AN:**

**Mel- I find that sometimes people can't see what's straight in front of them and so they need a little nudge to find things out for themselves, if that makes sense to you.**

Chapter Four

I followed them all outside into the garden. It was my favourite get away place ever since I was a toddler. There was a swinging seat in the top right hand corner with circular stones with different shapes on them leading up to it. My favourite shape has always been the wolf. And all around the lawn there was flowers of all types- roses, Dahlias, Foxglove and, my personal favourite, lavenders.

"Give us a sec" Paul said and jogged into the forest.

"Where's he going?" I asked Sam, frowning as I watched him go.

"You'll see."

Suddenly, out came a huge, silvery-grey wolf came trotting out of the trees. And when I say huge I don't mean just huge; I mean fucking humungous!

"Holy shit!" I swore and it whined. Then I paused. "Paul?"

It whined again.

"Okay" I breathed, folding my arms "I know I said this before but I'll say it again: holy shit!"

"Anything else?" Jared asked, looking amused.

"Uh, nope, I'm pretty much done" I said, and then added as an afterthought "I think."

Slowly, warily, I walked up to what I think was Paul and reached out a hand o stroke its neck. It hummed in pleasure and I giggled.

"So you guys turn into wolves, just to clarify" I guessed.

"You betcha" Embry grinned.

"And the legends?"

"True to the very last word" Jake nodded.

I took a deep breath, trying to take it all in. "I guess that's... pretty cool, in a weird, wolfy sort of way. Just one question though."

"Shoot."

"Do you guys have flees" I asked, grinning. "Because if you do I'm kicking out on the streets; pronto."

"We do not have flees!" they chorused, folding their arms simultaneously and huffing, looking offended. It was kinda cute.

I laughed and Paul licked me. "Eww, Paul!" I groaned. "Gross!"

I tried to swat him with my hand but he jumped out of the way, his tongue hanging out like a dog.

"So you're cool with us?" Quil asked carefully.

"It's going to take some getting used to" I admitted. "But I'll get used to it."

They all cheered and Sam spun me around in the air above his head just like he used to do when I was a kid.

Setting me down, Sam said "I don't know about anyone else but I'm starving."

"I'll make dinner" I said, moving to go inside but Sam placed a hand on my shoulder.

"No, it's okay" he smiled, but there was a gleam in his eyes I couldn't quite place. "I can cook; you baby us too much."

"Oh, okay" I muttered, frowning as they all ran into the house, chuckling mysteriously. Sam never offered to cook unless I was ill. Turning to Paul, I said "Well, that was weird."

"Yeah" Paul said distantly. "Listen, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure" I said, blinking in surprise.

Together walked down to the beach in silence, each of us waiting for the other to speak.

"It's beautiful" I breathed, gesturing to the sunset in the background. I'd never seen one so gorgeous.

"Yeah" he murmured, but he wasn't looking at the sunset.

"So you want to talk to me?" I asked finally, after another pause.

He nodded, shuffling his feet. Where did the confident and daring Paul that I grown to know over these past couple of days? "How much to do you know about the imprinting legend."

I gave him a funny look but recited it from memory anyway, just to humour him. _"And when Taha Aki first laid eyes on her, the world seemed to stop spinning. He didn't know what the centre of the Earth was like but he knew it was dull compared to the goddess in front of him. She was his sun and air. She was everything he could ever want and everything he could ever need. The look on his face to all those passersby was the look of a blind man seeing the sun for the first time."_

The whole time I was speaking, he had a look on his face like...

"Holy mother of shit" I breathed. "You...you..."

"Yes" he said, looking at me through his eyelashes in such a way that made my legs turn to jelly. "I imprinted on you, Bella."

I gaped at him and then I did the only rational thing my mind could think of doing.

I ran.

I ran because I was scared.

I ran because there was nothing else I could do.

I ran because I knew I was in love with him.

I ran because I couldn't stop.

**AN: Hey, I'm back. Sorry it took so long to update. I own nothing but my no-existing brain.**


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I ran through the forest, tears blinding me so badly that I wasn't surprised when I tripped over a tree root. I cried out as I hit the floor but stayed there. I rolled onto my side, so that I could breathe, and curled up on the wet bracken.

As I lay there, I had a feeling that more time was passing than I realised. I couldn't remember how long it had been since nightfall. Were the others looking for me? Maybe I should call out to them so they could find me. But I stayed silent.

Sometime later, it began to rain. The rain bothered me a little. It was cold. I unwrapped my arms from around my legs to cover my face. I began to shiver.

Everything came crashing down on me. My brother, my cousin, my best friends; all of them were werewolves. They hunted Vampires, blond drinking creatures that could kill you in the blink of an eye. I'd been imprinted on by Paul Meraz, La Push's local ladies man, which meant that he was stuck with me for the rest of his life.

"Bella"

The voice was deep and familiar, full of recognition. He wasn't called my name to search; he was acknowledging that I was found.

It took a while for my brain to process a name to the voice. It was like it was frozen.

"S-S-Sa-Sam" I managed to say through my chatting teeth.

"Bella" he gasped in relief, bending down and picking me up. I whimpered at how hot he was. It was like he was a flame.

"Shit. She's hypothermic. We need to get her into a bath. Now!" So Embry was here too.

I felt wind thrash wildly against me as Sam broke out into a full blown sprint. It was a matter of minutes when we got into the house.

"Get her into the water." At least Jared was staying calm. "We'll leave the room."

That was a relief at least. I wasn't entirely comfortable with all of them seeing me naked.

The water felt scalding. I could feel my eyes get huge and clenched my teeth on a yell. It probably so hot because I was so cold. Breathing through my nose, I forced myself to stay calm.

"It's alright" Sam soothed, washing me with my favourite strawberry shower jell.

A fountain of burning pain drove everything out of my mind. It started in my fingers and toes and shot upward, a white-hot searing that meant my frozen flesh was coming back to life. All I could do was lay rigid, breathe raggedly through my nose, and try to endure it.

And eventually, it did get better. My white, wrinkled skin turned dark blue, and then mottled, and then red. The searing subsided to a tingling. I could move and think again.

Sam helped me into my PJs and I wiggled my fingers, which were tender buck functioning. Then he swooped me up in his arms bridal style and carried me to my bed. Laying me down, he wiped away my tears.

"I'm a monster" I croaked, clinging to him.

"No you're not" he whispered, smoothing back my hair.

"Yes I am" I said. "I ran! I ran away from him after he confessed his love for me. I'm a monster! I'm like Joshua."

"No!" he said sharply. "You will never be like him. Yes, you ran away, but that doesn't make you a bad person. Because you are also kind, gentle and caring. You always see the best in people. You accepted us for who we are without questions. Most people would have called us freaks or screamed and run away. But not you. Never you."

I realised he was crying, but this only made me cling to him more. Nobody knew just how vulnerable Sam truly was. What he went through and what he feared he would become. I hated Joshua for putting Sam through that. He deserved much worse a fate than what he got.

"Is Paul down stairs?" I asked, sniffling and wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

"He's outside" Sam answered, keeping his face in the crook of my neck so I wouldn't have to see him crying. It made me smile a little.

"Send him up? I want to apologise" I pleaded and he nodded, getting up and leaving the room.

Nervously, I smoothed my bedcovers over.

"Bella" Paul's smooth voice floated over and my head jerked up surprised. Shit that was fast.

"Err, hey" I stuttered. Why now of all times do I lose my nerve?

"What do you want?" he asked. There was no hatred or anger in his voice, but nor was there softness or kindness or- what the heck- love.

I looked down at my sheets, blinking away my tears, before flickering back to look at him. "I'm sorry" I said finally. "I'm sorry that I ran away. It was just way too much for me to take in all in one day. And I was scared that..." I trailed off, embarrassed.

"That?" he prompted, sitting down next to me, his voice softer than before.

"That if I let you in I would get hurt" I mumbled, half hoping that he wouldn't hear me, but he did.

"I would never hurt you" he vowed, pulling me into his arm.

"That's what he said" I sighed, shrugging out of his arms and avoiding eye contact.

"Who?" He obviously couldn't decide whether he should be jealous or not.

"Joshua, our father" I said and made the decision right then and there to tell him. "When I was nine and Sam was thirteen I had just come home from school. I could hear Mom and Joshua arguing about something. It wasn't the first time I'd heard them arguing and just went upstairs to do my homework." I drew in a shaky breath, begging myself not to cry. Not in front of Paul. "It was about the time when Sam came home that I heard the gunshot. Running down stairs I saw Sam with a shocked expression on his face and his front splattered with blood. Finally, I saw the body on the floor. It took a moment for me to realise who it was."

A tear rolled down my cheek and Paul wiped it away with his thumb.

"He shot her" I sobbed. "Joshua shot my mother. He shot her in front of Sam, forcing him to watch the life drain from her eyes. And then he turned the gun on himself."

I turned my head into the crook of his neck and he rocked me back and forth, whispering in my ear, soothing me. And I knew I had never felt this safe, in my Paul's arms.

**AN: Hey. If you guys want something to happen in this story then just review it and I'll see what I can do.**

**~Poison Ivy**


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

For the next couple of weeks Pual and I were viewed as a couple. Sam was entirely pleased about the idea of me dating- when is he ever? - but thankfully he left us alone, minus a couple of glares directed at Paul whenever we were curled up on the sofa together.

I groaned in annoyance at the front door of my house. I'd forgotten her keys and the spare one was missing from under the stone. I searched about until I found it by the lavender plant at the end of the path.

"What are you doing there?" I murmured, picking it up and putting it in the lock. Twisting it, picked up the shopping bags and carried them into the kitchen.

I screamed.

Blood. Blood was everywhere. On the counters, on the floor and on the walls, dripping from the ceiling. I dropped the bags and grabbed my mobile from the dining room table. In the living room there was more blood, this time in writing.

_Back off._

The fowl smell of copper reached my nose and I gagged.

_Monster._

"Sam" I gasped, curling up in a ball in the corner.

_Dead._

"Bella, what is it?" he demanded, but he sounded far away. I could barely focus on him, the words swimming in front of my eyes.

_Isabella..._

"Blood" I whispered.

_Temperance..._

"So much blood."

_Uley!_

"We're coming" Sam said. "Where are you?"

"Home" I said, squeezing my eyes tight shut but I could still see it as clearly as I could with them open. I whimpered.

The door banged open and I screamed.

"Sh it's okay" Paul soothed, wrapping his arms securely around me. "Why's she so freaked" he asked Sam. "Her emotions are so haywire that I can only catch bits and pieces."

"She can't stand blood" Sam answered, sniffing the walls. "This is defiantly human blood."

I curled instinctively into Paul and he kissed me on the forehead protectively.

"Where are the others?" I asked, my voice muffled against the skin of his neck.

"Seth, Quil and Embry are on patrol. Jake and Jared are running around the house, trying to find a scent of your attacker."

As if on cue, the two of them of the burst into the living room, looking rather ruffled.

"Nothing" Jared said. "Not a single scent was left behind."

"But that's impossible" Sam said.

"Apparently not" Jake said, already making his way over to me. "Are you alright?

I wrinkled my nose. "I just got home from the shopping centre and find my house is covered in human blood with my name written all over it, literally. So, considering that, no, Jacob bloody Black, I'm not fucking alright!"

"That's more like the Bella we know" Jared smirked. "Seems like Paul being here as done the world of good."

"Fuck off" Paul snapped, throwing a cushion at him which he neatly dodged, but I swear I could see a crimson blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Is that a blush I see" Jake teased and Paul growled at him.

"I'm not blushing!"

"Aww" I smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "I think it's adorable."

"Adorable" Paul whined as I got off his lap and went into the kitchen to grab a bucket and sponge. "Couldn't think of more manly words that wouldn't damage my ego."

"How about cute?" I suggested, scrubbing at the words and focusing on breathing through my mouth, rather than through my nose and getting hysteric again.

"That's even worse!"

In the other room I could hear Jake and Jared roaring with laughter.

"Paul" I said slowly, not entirely sure if I wanted to know the answer "when we were in the living room and I was- you know- you said 'her emotions are so haywire that I can only catch bits and pieces'. What did you mean? How can you know what I'm feeling?"

The laughter stopped immediately in the other room and Paul shifted slightly, as if he was choosing his words carefully.

"I can feel your emotions through the imprint bond" he said finally. "You can, too, if you concentrated hard enough."

Taking in a deep breath, I focused on Paul and Paul alone. Embarrassment, concern and love washed over me and a hint of... lust? He blushed. I bit my lip, chuckling, and he groaned.

"Do that and you'll find yourself with a dead dog" he said, jerking his head in the direction of Sam.

"I'll protect you" I teased him, wrapping my arms around his waist and kissing him on the cheek.

"Does anyone have any idea who this might be behind this?" Sam asked with a meaningful growl and looking pointedly at our arms.

"I don't think I pissed anyone off lately" I said, tightening my grip when I felt Paul's arms loosen guiltily.

"Is it possible...?" Sam trailed off.

"No" Paul said. "Why would he suddenly care about my activities?"

"Who?" I demanded.

"I'll tell you later" he murmured in my ear, making me shiver, but then it occurred to me that I might not be the only one here with a trouble past.

**AN: Sorry I'm so late. It's the end of the summer holidays and those are always the most hectic for me.**

**~Poison Ivy**


End file.
